The Tracker's Quest: (Forced To Serve #6)

by Donna McDonald

  “You jest. Have you ever really killed a male in his sleep or otherwise?” Suzerain Trax demanded.

  “Yes. Several. After killing my original mate for what he did to me and Rena, I have since developed a talent for taking life. I spared Chief Arghane’s life today as a show of good faith between offspring and sire. His wrist may need medical attention to heal though. I think I broke something in it when we fought.”

  Seta felt Ji stiffen beside her as the suzerain leaned out to look at Arghane in surprise. The male in question quickly stopped rubbing and dropped both hands to his side. Snorting, her sire turned back to her.

  “I see the reports about the state of your mind were not exaggerations after all,” Suzerain Trax declared, rubbing his chin. “But the Siren’s money is in transit and I would hate to disappoint such a good customer. He has already refused any substitutions. The deal is for you or it is null and void.”

  Knowing better than to respond, Seta lifted her chin.

  “I cannot promise what outcome I will choose for you, but if you are successful, I will keep our accord as it pertains to the rest of your family and siblings. But we must shelve the discussion of rewards until you have retrieved my property. After its safe return to me, then we will discuss options again. My word will be final and you will do as I command concerning the Siren.”

  Seta bowed her head, let it hang for a moment, and then raised it again. “Despite my reluctance to be bound to the Siren, I have to admit no finer warrior exists, Suzerain. I ask your permission for him to accompany me on my quest. We have been on many missions together and you know I will need male protection.”

  “I had intended to send Arghane with you. He has asked for privileges. Why should I not grant him those?”

  Seta stared back, not blinking. “If you wish Chief Arghane dead and me gone again, then by all means grant Chief Arghane privileges. The Siren is the only male that I promise to let live—and the only one whose bed I am willing to share in any manner.”

  “Be grateful I need your help, my errant daughter. How about I send both males with you? My treasure is quite valuable and I am in a generous mood. As a show of good faith the Siren can have access to you for a temporary time,” Suzerain Trax declared, smiling about his solution.

  Seta glanced at the male rubbing his wrist again. Arghane would provide a buffer between her and Ji. “If it pleases you and moves this discussion forward, then I will agree,” she said, bowing her head again.

  Suzerain Trax clapped his hands and Arghane rushed to his side. “Get that wrist taken care of and pack. Take what you need and two armed secondaries to watch your belongings. Return Seta’s and Siren Warro’s weapons. They might need them where they’re going.”

  Arghane sputtered in shock. “But Sire—Seta is to have a weapon? She’s female.”

  The suzerain looked at his surprising offspring who waited stoically for his answer. Then he looked back at Arghane. “I don’t wish her killed before she finds Endara, so she is to have a means of protecting herself which doesn’t require fighting hand-to-hand. This trip will give you a chance to make amends for your cruelty, Mot. I prefer to keep you alive in the long term, so try to earn my offspring’s gratitude before you return.”

  Seta saw Arghane glare at her before releasing a breath. He nodded to the suzerain and then left the gallery. She returned her gaze to the detestable male who sired her. “I am ready now to hear about your treasure which needs finding.”

  “The treasure’s name is Endara. I betrothed her to a rock-mining suzerain, but he paid far too little for what he received. You know how I feel about being cheated out of my profit. I want Endara returned until he has paid for her true value.”

  “Are you sure the child still lives? Perhaps her new mate has tired of her and put her to death to spite you. That has happened before,” Seta said.

  “Yes. But I am sure that is not the case with this arrangement. Endara wasn’t of age to service males and won’t be for quite some time. It was a special situation. My optimism that her absence would prompt her female sire to want another offspring proved to be a bad decision.”

  Seta swallowed the bile in her throat. She had been only fourteen Earth summers old when her father had given her to his Chief to initiate. The question she needed to ask stuck on its way out of her throat. “How old is the child?”

  “Endara is twelve zans. Wait, that’s rude of me. Common language calculation—she is four and half Earth years old.”

  Seta’s eyes widened no matter how much she tried to stop her emotional reaction. “Four? What possessed you to accept a union price for a four year old child?”

  She heard the suzerain snort.

  Seta dipped her head in what appeared to be apology. “Forgive me. I do not know your reasons and I should not judge your wisdom in business matters.” She closed her eyes and tried to fight feeling so much revulsion. It was hard to bite back the insults she wanted to rain on his head. She felt Ji’s stroking hand between her shoulder blades and quickly stepped away. Comfort—any comfort at all—would reduce her to a puddle.

  She raised her head finally. “I will also have to ask you to forgive me this question as well, but I need the information in order to plan our search. What is the child’s value to the one who paid for her?”

  She waited patiently for an answer and grew highly irritated by the way the suzerain squirmed in his chair.

  “I would rather not say at this time. Just know Endara is special, highly valuable, and must be returned to me so a more equitable bargain can be struck,” Suzerain Trax stated.

  “We cannot go blindly out to retrieve a person you bargained away without knowing what perils we might be facing. Why would a mining kingdom buy a child? If this quest is important to you, then tell me the truth of the matter.”

  “Very well—the child talks to rocks, including all gems. Her female sire was an off-planet female I bargained for on special trade. Endara’s talents are common on her female parent’s world, but I was not aware of this when I accepted the mining suzerain’s union suite.”

  “Is her mother still in your corral?” Seta asked, tense with concern for someone she had never met.

  Suzerain sighed and stared off at a far wall. “Ineid is no longer in the zenana because she is broken. Ineid is kept sedated so she will remain calm. The chances of her getting her to conceive again are slim. Healers tell me her spirit has mostly left her body already. That process began long before Endara though. The female was melancholy when her former mate traded her to me for a younger, fair-haired female. Even with restraints and many days of medical assistance, it took me several weeks of trying to get Ineid to conceive Endara. Then, to make matters worse, she did not fare well once conception was finally achieved.”

  Counseling herself not to show her feelings about her father’s vile admission, Seta nodded tightly. “I wish to talk with Ineid. If Endara is not wholly Ethosian, I would like to understand what she is before I set out to find her.”

  When her sire had the audacity to look put out by her request, a dark vicious hatred rose inside her. She felt Zorinda’s power straining towards the male she stared at as stoically as possible. In her mind, she created an image of an invisible cord wrapped around Suzerain Trax’s neck, choking the life from him. Before her gaze the detestable male started sweating and clawing at his throat. Several of his closest attendants rushed to his aid when they noticed what was happening.

  Could it be the demon bringing her thoughts to life?

  Zorinda—stop, she ordered, sending the mental command. It is not time for his death. Not yet. I command you to stop—for now.

  Suddenly free of his choking fit, Seta watched the suzerain wave away all those around him.

  “Get away from me, fools. Can’t you see I am fine? My clothes are too restricting. I obviously chose poorly when I dressed this morning—that’s all.”

  Seta watched his attention shift to her.

  “Arghane can take you to see Inei
d, but I doubt you will get any helpful information. She refused to tell me no matter what luxury I promised her. You’ll be lucky if the female even acknowledges you at all. Her mate lied about her species because I had her blood tested. Even Ineid probably doesn’t know what she is.”

  Seta nodded to show she had heard the challenges he ticked off, but lifted her chin as her gaze met the suzerain’s again. “My intuition has been sharpened by Peace Alliance training. I wish the Siren to accompany me as a witness.”

  “Easily granted and wise. A lone female cannot be seen roaming about unattended anyway. If your Siren values you as much as he claims, it would be wise for him to remain with you at all times while you are on Ethos.”

  Seta saw Suzerain Trax turn to his administrator and motion the staid male to his side.

  “Put out the word that Seta and the Siren have free rein of the canton. They are to be allowed any liberties they choose for the purpose of the task she is performing, provided they are accompanied by a canton guard at all times.”

  The male bowed his head and glanced warily at her and Ji.

  Though Seta had not made contact with her unwelcome suitor much, awareness of Ji was a constant whenever he was nearby. She felt the Siren’s energy resonating inside her almost as much as she felt Zorinda’s power. In some ways it was a comfort because his presence meant she wasn’t going to be alone with so many unfriendly males. At least Ji was an ally when it came to dealing with the Arghane types on Ethos. Who knew how many of her father’s males Zorinda would have to kill to protect her if Ji wasn’t there?

  “Seta?”

  Shaking her head to clear it from her mind wanderings, Seta brought her attention back to the present. She and Ji were being surrounded by several armed males.

  “Suzerain Trax has ordered his guards to escort us to union suitor quarters,” Ji said sharply.

  Seta nodded and turned as one of the guards ordered them to follow. She felt Ji fall into step beside her. While outwardly he looked at ease, she could still feel his tension.

  Her exit out of the gallery was as silent as her entry.

  She vowed the next time she entered her father’s private residence it was going to be on her terms.

  Chapter 4

  They were led to the domicile usually reserved for the richest of suitors in the process of making expensive union suite requests. It was also used for bonding trials of those same females.

  The suzerain did a great business by selling his offspring. During his wealth building years, he had successfully purchased and mated many fair-haired females despite the fact they were rare on Ethos. He openly advertised the fair-haired offspring in his corral as the highly prized merchandise he knew they were. She and Rena had even seen him accept union offers for some of the fair-haired males he sired, fortunately none were of their family.

  The reason fair hair was so prized by wealthy Ethos males was beyond her ability to understand. She never discerned anything sensible in such a preference. In the darkness of a sleeping room, weren’t all females who could spread their legs interchangeable? Seta genuinely believed this was the case more often than not.

  Yet just as odd as the wealthy Ethos males’ preference for fair-haired mates had always been, her naïve reaction to learning such knowledge had been equally startling to her. She had immediately hated her fair hair because of it. Rena’s disgust over her attempts at making her tresses dark with enhancements was the only reason she had ceased trying to change her genetic color. She had even envied Rena’s slightly darker tresses, a darkness so minor in her identical dual-birth sibling, it was perhaps not even noticeable to anyone but her.

  After the guards dropped them off and closed the door on them Seta glanced around their quarters. The opulence of rich bed coverings and the luxury of smooth fabric furniture made the room just as beautiful as the last time she had here. That visit—like the others before it—had been under conditions preventing any true appreciation of her lush surroundings. At least this time she was with a male she didn’t detest, even if his lust level for her exceeded any previous suitor she’d had. She watched as Ji went to the door and opened it to assure himself no one lurked outside.

  “The guards simply left us here. And it doesn’t look like we’re locked in. I find it most peculiar no one was left outside to make sure we stayed put.”

  As she watched him, Seta guessed the warrior in Ji remained too much on alert to notice where they were. Maybe he was used to such symbols of wealth. What did she really know about him? When it came down to it, she knew little.

  “The guard escort was just for show. All suitors receive the same treatment. That doesn’t mean we aren’t being watched in secret. May I have my clothes back now?”

  Ji slid the uniform pack from his shoulder and handed it over to her. He continued his study of the domicile. “This room is filled with more negativity than the gallery. Everything reeks of it. I don’t know how anyone ever sleeps here. I’ve never been overly sensitive to such things, but there is a form of energy filth in here not easily ignored.”

  Not knowing how to answer such a comment, Seta took her bundle to a small table and set it down. Fetching hangers from a storage closet in the dressing area, she proceeded to attend to her uniform.

  “Since I can’t wear my uniform on Ethos, not even on the mission, I might as well hang it for now up. What I can wear is leggings under my chelag—I mean—skirt. They will afford me the necessary freedom of movement I will need. I’ll try to find some boots to wear once we head for the desert. I used to live there so I know the sand is hot and the dirt is rocky. Both conditions make for very hard walking. That will be especially true for sparsely adorned feet. I don’t know exactly what to expect from the land in the mining area. It is a part of Ethos females never get to visit, not even with mates. Rumors are it is hostile.”

  Ji walked to Seta and put his hands over hers to stop her movements. She was wound so tight, he was surprised she hadn’t struck out at him to release some of the anger she was feeling.

  “Do your task later,” he ordered softly, turning Seta gently around and pulling her into his arms. Her arms coming around him in return were a bliss he craved, but it was the step Seta took into him which mattered most. It was done to seek comfort for herself. It was done out of trust he would be able to provide it.

  “I am regretful my inquiry to Suzerain Trax caused you suffering. Not feeding you was a despicable act. If Arghane assaulted you as well, he will not make it back from our mission alive. Know this now.”

  Seta tightened her hold and shook her head. “No. Chief Arghane did no physical harm to me. The demon’s power prevented it.”

  Ji set her away far enough to look down into her gaze. “What do you mean the demon’s power prevented it?”

  “I don’t know what I mean exactly. But it seems Zorinda tries to help me when I am being threatened.”

  Seta shook her head over her lack of sureness about the demon’s intentions. Pulling out of Ji’s embrace, she went back to her task.

  “I wish you hadn’t come and yet I am glad you are here. Extreme irrationality rules me in the matter. I regret I am unable to show proper gratitude to you yet. Perhaps when this is done I will find a way to express a proper thanks.”

  “I believe you just did.” Smiling at her explanation, Ji was glad Seta’s back was to him. “Before this is done, you will be conflicted about many things. I have bought your freedom from your sire and have no regrets for doing so. Someone like him only understands currency and exchange. Do you even think of him as your father?”

  “Let me tell about my dealings with the male. Suzerain Trax awarded my first breach to Arghane’s predecessor. It happened in this very room. Sending the two of us here was done to remind me of the power he wields over my destiny. It was a successful ploy on his part because those memories do now plague me. As to seeing him as my father, I know only what I have read about such parental roles in other cultures. I don’t think the suzerain sees
me as a true child either. In that we are the same,” Seta said tightly, finding it hard to finish her speech. “I believe I am merely something for him to sell. He paid to grow me and intends to make all the profit he can off his investment.”

  Ji closed his eyes and turned his head to swear viciously in Siren. He would like nothing better than to cause Suzerain Trax more pain than his daughter had suffered.

  “Release your anger on my behalf, Ji. I appreciate your sympathy over the matter, but you cannot erase what was done before I even knew you existed.”

  Seta walked into the dressing area and hung up her uniform. She ran a light hand along a rack of beautifully woven fabrics that had been turned into colorful decorations for the female form. Her smile was bittersweet. Instead of reminding her of any male, they reminded her of the sibling she had loved and lost.

  “When we were young females in the progeny zenana, Rena used to tease me because I loved dressing up. Oh, not to be put on display in the gallery, but in our room, in private. When a female was required to be presented in the gallery, a dochenta picked her seductive clothing. Such a task was done with no more regard than that of a shopkeeper displaying wares on a convenient rack. No one ever knew how much I used to want to wear beautiful clothing all the time anyway. It was my guilty pleasure to love the very thing which signaled the female’s destiny was about to change for the worse.”

  “Is what you describe the life of every Ethosian female?” Ji asked, appalled at her story. He kept his face turned away, trying to hide the angry tic in his jaw.

  Seta pondered the question philosophically for a moment. The sad reality of being Ethosian and a female was something she and Rena had often discussed.

  “Yes. A rare female or two might have things easier, but even those lucky few with decent mates were still confined to their homes. More females—most really—had to resign themselves to being property which could be traded, bartered, and used any way their mate deemed worthwhile.”